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With just a few short weeks left to soak up summer, all eyes are naturally on back to school. It's back to a structured routine. It's change. It's transition into something new. And with all of that comes a level of nervousness for our kids, excitement, and probably some combo of both. But did you know that yoga is a great way to prep for school? Tonight on the blog, I'm giving a sneak peek into a few tips and tricks that you can use at home with your kids. Enjoy!

How can yoga help prep for school?My teaching style with kids yoga is to keep them super engaged, active, and having FUN. If you've watched a class or have heard about it from your kids, it's no secret that we get moving and then we balance it with calm moments. The goal is to have fun with yoga, use it to help every day situations (like school, sports, socially, etc), and the rest will fall into place. Check out these 3 tips and give them a try with your kids!

1. Get yoga-active! An outlet for burning energy, which automatically reduces anxiety and stress.

Get moving with a Family Downward Dog Tunnel to have fun with yoga together. Parents hold downward dog pose while kids slither through as cobra snakes...3 slithers each. And then switch! Kids LOVE when they are the dogs and parents slither through. Or kick it up a notch and have the dogs tickle the cobras. A great way to be yoga-active together!

2. Concentration challenges! Boosts self-esteem and improves focus.

Try a family Tree Pose challenge! Stand tall, arms at your side. Pick one standing leg to be your "trunk". Turn the other leg out, lift, and place below the knee on your standing leg (or above if you can, but not on the knee directly). Lift your arms to the sky and balance. See who can hold it the longest (and then try the other side!) This simple pose requires a LOT of concentration, strength and focus. Plus, the quietness of balancing actually teaches kids how to develop focus and concentration -- so important for school.

Try yoga breathing together at bedtime or when anyone in the family is upset. Try Square Breathing. First, breathe in to a count of four, and hold the breath for a count of four. Then breathe out to a count of four, and wait four counts before breathing again. Kids often like to draw a square in the air while they breathe to help them stay on track. The Shoulder Roll Breath is another great technique. Take a deep breath in through your nose and roll your shoulders up to your ears at the same time. Breathe out through your mouth and roll your shoulders down as you exhale. Repeat slowly 7 times. This should feel awesome.

At the end of the day, our kids will all thrive. They'll be OK! But, it can't hurt to have a few yoga tips and tricks to help them through various situations.

Happy moving, concentrating, and breathing, everyone!

Ali

PS. We'll be using some of these techniques and learning many more during Back to School Yoga Camp next week. Check out all of the details on Yoga Camp here! Can't wait to see all of my campers next week -- lots of Yoga Camp fun is in store. And, if you're thinking of a weekend yoga class for your kids, meet us at the studio on Saturday @ 11:00-11:45AM. Ages 5-8 with fresh fruit after class. View our schedule and enroll in classes here.